PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (DTN) -- As he has in the past, President Barack Obama used his fifth State of the Union speech Tuesday night to again propose an aggressive agenda, but there was almost no emphasis on rural America.

In Washington, the president laid out a liberal-oriented agenda that included proposing to raise the minimum wage, emphasizing the need to address climate change and promote clean energy. The president advocated spending on infrastructure and education and passing immigration reform. He also continued his push on gun control.

Some rural lawmakers had hoped Obama would reference the farm bill in his ...